Within the last decade, open-top, upward facing "torchiere" style floor lights have become an increasingly popular source of lighting. However, the typical 300 watt torchiere light of this era incorporates a halogen lamp having a bulb external surface temperature of 794 K which presents heat energy sufficient to ignite many materials commonly found in the light operating environment. In fact, the lights are reported to be the source of many fires, leading institutions, e.g. colleges, to ban the lights outright.
Prior attempts to limit the problem have lead some manufacturers to install a wire mesh or glass covers in the region just above the bulb in models sometime advertised as "state of the art." Such wire mesh or glass covers still provide an access to the hot bulb or themselves are above a temperature which can enflame some materials. In order to objectively evaluate the fire hazard problem, Underwriters Laboratory (UL) has proposed a "Cheesecloth" test, wherein an acceptable light must complete seven hours of continuous operation without burning or igniting a piece of cheesecloth placed on top (in the direction of the lights emission) of the light. The wire mesh or glass covers do not significantly reduce the fire hazard, and apparently offer protection to the bulb more than to the surrounding.